Tuesday, 31 October 2017

Through his communication of the 17th October 2017, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin conveys the message of Pope Francis to ICYCW, IYCW and CCI.

In this message, Pope Francis appreciates the devoted sentiments that prompted us to write to him about the important work of those young people who continue to be inspired by the work of Joseph Cardinal Cardijn.

The Secretary of State conveys that the 'Holy Father wishes to renew his prayerful wishes to the young people the three organisations represent and that he invokes upon all of us God's blessings of joy and peace'.

Pope Francis's message is in response to a joint statement made by CCI, ICYCW and IYCW on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of IYCW Rome Pilgrimage 1957.

In the joint statement, while recalling the current situation of the young workers around the world, we had stated that Cardijn always insisted on the importance of the vocation and mission of each young worker in his or her daily life.

We had also mentioned that we believe that this message is particularly relevant and important in the light of next year’s Synod focusing on Young People, the Faith and Vocational.

Cardijn Community International thanks IYCW and ICYCW for their willingness in joining the efforts of CCI to issue the joint statement.

Let us continue to promote Cardijn's spirituality, vision and methodology.

Tuesday, 5 September 2017

Asia's Nobel Peace Prize equivalent, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has gone to Singaporean former YCW leader, Tony Tay, for his work in creating the Willing Hearts movement.

Tony grew the movement from 11 volunteers in 2003 to some 300 volunteers at present. It has one one vision: to provide the underprivileged and marginalized with hot, packed meals every day – even during Christmas and New Year, the Rappler reports.

He described it as a secular, non-affiliated charity that operates a soup kitchen where volunteers prepare and cook thousands of daily meals to be distributed to over 40 locations in Singapore.

"Food keeps families together, and it gives strength, it gives energy, and without food, it will be a big problem. So food comes to unite people," Tony said.

"Our volunteers will be very, very happy, and they are recognized not only back home but also in Southeast Asia. We feel that they will be happier, and they will come more often [to volunteer]," Tay told Rappler in an interview.

The movement began following his mother's death when Tony started collecting bread and vegetables and bringing these to the Canossian convent, as inspired by his mother's own charity work with the Canossian Sisters.

"One day, my wife asked one of the needy, 'Why you don't take...the vegetable, you only take bread?' He said, 'I don't cook.' So my wife said, 'Can I bring you a meal?'" Tay said.

"And then my wife brought two meals. [Another] one saw it, so he asked, 'Can you give one meal to him?' And then people asked more, and then they keep on going."

In Manila for the award, Tony met with current YCS leaders.

"He approached them and was so happy that they belong to YCS. He introduced himself as a YCW member," wrote CCI member, Kins Aparace on the CCI Facebook page.

Friday, 25 August 2017

Friday 25 August marks the 60th anniversary of the Rome Pilgrimage organised by the International Young Christian Workers (Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétienne) movement.

The 1957 Rome Pilgrimage, attended by 32,000 young workers from every continent, also foreshadowed the future World Youth Days launched by Pope St John Paul II, according to a letter addressed to Pope Francis by the Cardijn Community International (CCI), the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW), and the International Coordination of Young Christian Workers (ICYCW).

The anniversary falls one month after the 50th anniversary of the death of Joseph Cardinal Cardijn, founder of the movement.

“For ten days we have lived with the Lord on Tabor and with the Holy Spirit in the Cenacle. We have seen the Y.C.W. transfigured—its apotheosis,” commented Joseph Cardijn, at the end of the Rome pilgrimage.

“I have never attended a more joyful and spiritual event,” Romeo Maione, the Canadian YCW leader, who was elected president of the movement at the first international council held after the pilgrimage, later recalled.

British Pathé recorded the pilgrimage on newsreel, which is now available on YouTube:

Friday, 21 July 2017

24th July 2017 marks the 50th death anniversary of a man who showed us a way of life and changed the way the world and the Church looked at young people.

The main focus of Cardijn's message was 'human dignity'.

Ceaseless commitment in the service of humanity thereby participating in the plan of God was the spirituality professed by Cardijn.

Pope Francis in his message to the WMCW on their 50th anniversary in Spain a few days back reiterated this message of 'dignity'.

Cardijn showed the way to the Church to 'See, Judge and Act'.

The recent encyclical of Pope Francis on protecting our common home 'Laudato Si' is also based on the time tested SEE JUDGE ACT methodology.

CCI: was founded 16 years ago as a network to offer a possibility for those who had been trained in the Cardijn way to continue their commitment towards 'change' and to promote Cardijn's spirituality, vision and methodology.

Today CCI is present in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and North America and we have contacts in South America.

CCI remembers Cardijn on his 50th death anniversary and resolves to continue his legacy in partnership with all Cardijn movements.

50th anniversary activities
CCI members, friends and contacts are requested to join in the 50th anniversary events organised in their places and also extend invitation to all Cardijn movements to join their activities.

Corresponding to the 50th anniversary theme "Cardijn 1967-2017: Cry of the Poor and Cry of the Earth", as a specific tribute to Cardijn, CCI members and contacts are requested to plant trees wherever possible, beginning from their homes collectively and individually.

Considering the change in living standards and patterns, if planting space is a constraint, they are requested to plant a sapling in a pot/container at home.

The pictures with a brief note on the 50th anniversary events and planting of trees may be posted in Cardijn Community International group on Facebook.

Sunday, 18 June 2017

The Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has elected former Belgian KAJ (JOC-YCW leader, Luc Cortebeeck, as its Chairperson for 2017-18.

He has also been President of the ILO Workers’ Group and Vice-President of the ILO Governing Body since 2011,

He replaces Dr Ulrich Seidenberger, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations Office at Geneva, who served as Governing Body Chairperson since June 2016.

Luc Cortebeeck looks back at a long career within the trade union movement, both in Belgium and internationally. He is also Honorary President of the Confederation of Christian Trade Unions of Belgium (ACV-CSC).

The Governing Body is the Executive Body of the International Labour Office (the Office is the secretariat of the Organization). It meets three times a year, in March, June and November, and takes decisions on ILO policy, the agenda of the International Labour Conference, and the draft Programme and Budget of the Organization for submission to the Conference.

Luc began his involvement with the Belgian KAJ during the early 1970s, reviving the movement in the town of Tisselt.

Later he worked for the Christian Trade Union (ACV-CSC), becoming national secretary in 1987 and president in 1999.

In September 2016, he addressed a gathering of alumni of the IYCW-JOCI at Aachen, Germany.

Tuesday, 2 May 2017

Current and former YCW leaders, trade union leaders, social activists and others packed Cardijn's parish church of Notre Dame at Laeken, Belgium on 1 May to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Cardijn's death in 1967.

Watch the live video of the service here - mostly in French and Dutch. Testimony in English from Ludovicus Mardiyono, former IYCW president, starting at 10.00.

Video of Cardijn's life (in Dutch) created by Sim D'Hertefelt of Kerknet.

Saturday, 11 March 2017

The diocesan process for the canonization of Argentinian JOC chaplain, Bishop Enrique Angelelli, who was assassinated during the 1970s military dictatorship, is already in the Vatican and has been combined with that of two priests and a lay person who were also killed in the same period.

The process was linked to the killings of two priests and a layman, victims of the same military regime

"The Church needs to verbalize many things of the dictatorship," Fr Luis Liberti, an expert in the cause of beatification of the bishop of La Rioja between 1968 and 1976 told Vatican Insider.

Fr Liberti also now speaks of "Bishop Angelelli and his fellow martyrs."

"In October 2016 the diocesan process was closed, which lasted for one year and eight months, since then the cause was brought to the Vatican," Fr Liberti said.

"It is important to note that his cause is linked to that of three others killed before him, two priests (Gabriel Longueville, Carlos Murias) and a layman (Wenceslao Pedernera).

"Now this is a single cause.

"The 22 July of 1976 was the birthday of Angelelli. That same day they killed the priests, which was his (birthday) gift. On 26 July they killed the lay person and 4 August they killed the bishop," Fr Liberti said.